Evaluating Joe Burrow’s performance against the Giants

Looking into the Bengals star quarterback’s performance on Sunday Night Football in New York.

If the Cincinnati Bengals are able to turn their season around, there will be one play you can point to as the catalyst.

On 3rd & 18, on the Bengals’ first possession of the game, Burrow called his own number and raced 47 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.

It was the longest run of Burrow’s career, more than doubling his previous long of 23 yards.

It felt like the first of many big plays for the Bengals in the first half.

Unfortunately, the Bengals offense went dormant after Burrow’s 47-yard touchdown run. The Bengals punted on five straight possessions to end the first half. Burrow was sacked three times in the process, including two times by the Giants Azeri Ojuliari.

The second half proved better for Burrow, as he was able to push the ball down the field and extend plays. After the Giants tied the game midway through the third quarter, Burrow avoided a sack and found Ja’Marr Chase for a 33-yard gain. The drive led to a go-ahead 37-yard field goal and a 10-7 lead.

When it came time to ice the game, Burrow was Joe Cool. On 3rd & 12, Burrow extended the play by rolling left and hitting Andrei Iosivas for a 29-yard gain.

Chase Brown’s 30-yard touchdown gave the Bengals a 17-7 lead that they would not relinquish. Mind you, that drive came after Burrow was evaluated for a concussion.

Burrow finished the night 19/28 for 205 yards and led the Bengals with 55 rushing yards. The win was also the first prime-time road win of Burrow’s career.

While his overall stats may not have been eye-raising, he actually earned an 82.3 Pro Football Focus grade. That’s his second-highest mark of the season and fourth-highest since the 2023 season.

PFF now has him ranked second in the NFL among quarterbacks in passing grade, second in adjusted completion percentage (80.7%), third in total offensive grade, and tied for the fourth-most big-time throws (10).

That’ll do.